Mistress of Darkness
by Akari Kamigishi
Summary: This story was inspired by Rianne Li. Sakura is possessed by a dark force and starts to use the cards for evil. SPOILER ALERT!
1. Sakura, Shaoran, and the Dark Mistress

Mistress of the Darkness - Prologue: Sakura, Shaoran, and the Dark Mistress  
Written by Akari Kamigishi and inspired by Rianne Li  
  
After overanalysing one of Rianne's fics, I came up with a neat idea for a Card Captor Sakura fic. No, this isn't a cute S+S fic. I'm sorry, but there are too many out there for me to write one more for the net. However, this is a serious S+S fic. See for yourself.  
  
I have seen all 70 TV episodes and both movies. I will use references from all of these. If you don't like spoilers then I HIGHLY suggest you turn back now. Go read some CardCaptors based stuff or something....  
  
I don't own Card Captor Sakura's characters and references. Those rights belong to CLAMP and various other companies involved in the publishing of the manga and the airing of the series. This is simply a fanfic. I use these characters and references without permission, but do not intend to infringe on the rights of others.  
  
  
The large bell at Tomoeda Elementary rang, signalling that school had been dismissed for the day. The sky was clear and the sun was shining. Summer vacation was here, and of course, that meant more time to spend with friends. However, Sakura was not feeling much like hanging out with friends. In fact, she wanted to be alone to think about the events of the past few weeks.  
  
After she had converted The Hope, the equalizer of the Clow Cards, into a Sakura Card, Shaoran had no other reason to stay in Japan and was suddenly called back to Hong Kong by his mother. He left very reluctantly, and he did not leave without giving Sakura something to remember him by. He had left her a straw hand basket that he had designed and woven himself. It was red with a white wing on it, like most of the stuff that Sakura wore and received from friends; however, she loved the thought none-the-less.  
  
Sakura wanted to know when they would see each other again. The Hope, although it had caused a lot of trouble, had done Sakura a favour by giving her the chance to express her love for Shaoran. In fact, she was surprised that she was able to jump so far just to give him a hug. The gap between them after the fight with The Hope was particularly large, and if she had fallen into the gap, she would have fallen a long way. Shaoran insisted that Sakura wait until her magic had recovered and used the fly card to fly to him, but he appreciated her gesture.  
  
Like usual, Tomoyo was following Sakura. Sakura was not really angry with her for doing so. Even with Tomoyo beside her, Sakura could still be alone to her thoughts but Tomoyo was persistent in asking her how she was feeling, and she really couldn't sort out how she felt on her own, let alone tell it to Tomoyo. Sakura simply sat on a bench near Penguin Park and let her thoughts and emotions surface. Tomoyo sat beside her hoping to give Sakura some needed support. Shaoran would come back to her one day, Sakura thought.  
  
"Zettai.... Daijoubu da yo," Sakura whimpered, almost not able to believe the words she had uttered.  
  
Kero stood firmly at Sakura's window, partly waiting for Sakura to come home and partly sensing a ki around the area. It was a dark ki, but it was a faint one, and Kero could barely feel it without being entirely concentrated on it. Even if it was a weak ki, it could still present problems for him and Sakura, so Kero kept his mind on it and tried to follow it as well as he could.  
  
Sakura did not return home from school early as her family expected. Kero was the only one in the house that wasn't surprised. Although he resented Shaoran, who he usually called a brat, Kero still knew that Sakura loved him and that his second departure to Hong Kong felt even worse to her than his first. "I really hope that Sakura can find someone else to love," Kero said to himself, "because the brat may not be coming back this time." Then he thought over things a bit more. If that ki he felt was close, then Shaoran might be coming back to Japan after all.  
  
Sakura had finally come back home at about six in the afternoon. Touya was extremely angry with her and stood in front of her with his arms crossed giving her a glare. Sakura knew she was being scolded, and she really didn't want to hear it. However, Touya made himself heard, and quite clearly.  
  
"Hey monster, where were you?" Touya asked harshly.  
  
"None of your business," Sakura replied.  
  
"You can't keep anything from me Sakura" Touya answered back. "It's about the brat isn't it?"  
  
Touya always knew about how Sakura was feelinng because when Sakura wasn't home, The Mirror would release itself and come to talk to him. The Mirror did not disguise itself as Sakura, because it knew that Touya had given all of his magical powers to Yue and that he could not see through its illusions anymore. The Mirror loved to talk to him, and sometimes, the conversation extended into talk about Sakura and how great of a mistress of the cards she was. Sometimes, when Sakura was sad, The Mirror would tell Touya about it, because it was genuinely concerned for its mistress. Touya was thankful that The Mirror talked to him about these things.  
  
"His name's Shaoran! I don't want to go through this again! Just leave me alone!" Sakura yelled while stomping out the door. She wanted to be at home, but somehow, she couldn't stand being there anymore. Despite the fact that Touya wanted to do the responsible thing and bring her home, he decided to let her go. He hoped that his father wouldn't be angry with him for letting Sakura sort out her feelings away from home. After all, once she became her cheerful self again, she wouldn't run away from home anymore.  
  
Sakura came home just in time to go to bed, but didn't talk to anyone. Touya noted that her expression was almost completely blank. He wondered if it was a sign that his plans and observations were effective. Kero was suspicious of her expression. Even if Sakura was emotionally hurt, a blank expression was unusual, and Kero would know. He had been with her for at least two years, in her room, being an audience to her personal life. He had listened to phone calls that she made to Yukito, helped her capture the Clow Cards, and even talked to her on a personal level about life. He had never seen such a blank expression on his mistress' face before. It scared him.  
  
Shaoran was summoned to his mother's room. His sisters had brought him and Meilin the message. Meilin would be with him shortly, and they would go to his mother's room together. Shaoran knew that this would mean that his mother had sensed another evil in Japan. He was looking forward to going back to Tomoeda, and seeing Sakura again. However, he wished that he could stay there. He hadn't forgotten about her, even after being home for a few weeks. Meilin often noticed that Shaoran was distant on certain days, especially when it rained. Rain tends to make a person depressed, but Meilin knew exactly what was bothering Shaoran. She knew him too well for him to be able to hide his feelings for Sakura.  
  
Meilin finally arrived, and she and Shaoran started towards his mother's room. When Shaoran opened the door to his mother's room, his mother turned around to greet him. She didn't seem entirely happy, and the two children expected this.  
  
"I sense a great evil in Japan again," Shaoran's mother started. "It seems even greater than the aura I felt when Sakura was here on vacation. Actually, I think it may even exceed the power of Clow Reed."  
  
"The aura exceeds Clow Reed's power? That's impossible!" Shaoran exclaimed. Meilin kept silent because she didn't truly understand Clow Reed, or even magic in general. She simply knew that she would be sent with Shaoran to take care of him while he was in Japan. She remembered when she and Shaoran teamed up against The Twin. She noted that she was useful for situations like that, and that Shaoran's mother knew that.  
  
"I am sending you two to Japan again. I feel that the mistress of the cards is in danger, and that someone else will have to help her battle this evil. Pack your stuff quickly. You leave tomorrow morning."  
  
Shaoran didn't mind at all. Even if he and Sakura would be fighting against an evil with even more power than Clow Reed, he would be happy to see her again. Meilin felt the same way. Sakura and Tomoyo, especially Tomoyo, had been great friends to her and she couldn't thank them enough for being her friends. Shaoran and Meilin started packing their luggage. They couldn't wait to board the plane.  
  
  
"Do you really think you can defeat the mistress of the cards?"  
  
Shaoran couldn't believe what he was seeing. Sakura was floating in front of him, glaring at him with red eyes and looking like she was possessed. To his right, Shaoran could see himself, in his ceremonial clothing. The other Shaoran had a look in his eyes that seemed unsure, although he tried to look determined.  
  
"He doesn't want to defeat her does he?" Shaoran yelled. He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular but he almost wished that the Sakura he was seeing could hear him. The other people were deaf to him.  
  
"You're not the mistress of the cards. The cards are mine," the other Shaoran said with confidence. Sakura cackled evilly.  
  
"You fool. The cards and the wand are only expressions of my true magic. I did not become mistress of the cards by pure luck. I will crush you, and the Shaoran Cards, traitors that they are. Prepare to die."  
  
Shaoran watched as Sakura clenched her hand into a fist. At the same time as she was doing so, the other Shaoran was literally being crushed. His ribcage looked like it was about to shatter into pieces, and his breathing was starting to become muffled. He was about to die.  
  
  
  
Shaoran and Meilin arrived in Japan safely, full of energy and ready to say hello to their old friends. The carried their luggage, once they had received it, through the airport and underwent the usual customs. The two children had become quite accustomed to Japanese airports and the procedures associated with them by now.  
  
After they had left the airport, they decided to start by going to Penguin Park. They thought that their old friends might be there, enjoying their summer vacation. However, on their way there, Meilin felt a few raindrops on her hand. She turned to Shaoran and tugged on his sleeve.  
  
"Ummm... Shaoran, we'd better find some shelter," Meilin said. Shaoran nodded, and the two started to run towards the house where they usually stay when they are in Japan. Wei would be happy to greet them and would take care of them if they became sick due to the rain. As they ran towards their house, the rain intensified almost tenfold.  
  
Shaoran and Meilin arrived home safely, and couldn't wait to get into a warm bath. Wei gave them new clothes and prepared a bath for each of them. Shaoran's was prepared first, and then Meilin's. After each had taken a warm bath, they both explained what Shaoran's mother had told them to Wei and then went to their rooms. When Shaoran walked into his room, a small yellow creature was standing outside his window, rapidly banging on it. Shaoran opened the window and let Kero in.  
  
"Keroberos! What are you doing here?"  
  
"Not paying a friendly visit to you, brat. But it looks like I've got a few things to talk to you about," Kero answered solemnly.  
  
"Well then what do you want?" Shaoran asked.  
  
"Have you seen Sakura since you arrived here?" Kero asked, to start his long explanation by finding out what Shaoran knew.  
  
"I was about to go to Penguin Park and see if she was there, because she loves penguins, but I got caught in the rain."  
  
"Heavy rainfall isn't it?" Kero answered extremely quickly, making Shaoran just a bit suspicious.  
  
"Get to the point!" Shaoran yelled.  
  
"Well, you see," Kero started, "Sakura hasn't... been herself lately. She's been coming home late from school, and giving everyone around her this blank expression. But today..."  
  
"It's just like my mother said. There's a new evil in Japan," Shaoran interrupted. Kero nodded.  
  
"Well, I'd hate to break it to ya, but I think Sakura is who your mother was talkin' about, because just today, I saw her eyes glow red. When I asked her what was happening, she just ran away. I couldn't keep up with her, and I couldn't feel her power. Ever since she left, it hasn't stopped raining," Kero explained.  
  
"I understand. The Rain is causing this. She's using the card to cause the rain," Shaoran said. Kero nodded again.  
  
"Give the kid a prize."  
  
  
Meilin took an umbrella from her house and opened it when she stepped outside. She had overheard Shaoran's conversation with Kero, and she needed to see someone to seek advice from. She was probably the only person who detected the shakiness in Shaoran's tone as he explained that Sakura was causing the rain. She had to hear the story from someone who wasn't involved with magic. So, she ran towards Tomoyo's house full-speed, hoping that she wasn't to late to come and talk with her.  
  
Tomoyo's mother greeted her at the door personally. It seems that she was expecting someone, but Meilin was a pleasant surprise. The Daidouji's servants escorted Meilin to Tomoyo's room. Meilin opened the door slowly, and she couldn't believe what she saw. Tomoyo was crying into her pillow.  
  
"Tomoyo! What's wrong? Tell me what happened," Meilin yelled.  
  
"Meilin! I... I'm so happy to see you," Tomoyo said, sniffling and wiping her eyes with the sleeves of her nightgown. Tomoyo and Meilin embraced each other and sat at the edge of Tomoyo's bed.  
  
"Li is here isn't he?" Tomoyo asked expectantly. Meilin nodded. Tomoyo shed another few tears.  
  
"He's too late. She's... her actions... not her own," Tomoyo cried between sniffles. Meilin held her comfortably, hoping to ease her pain.  
  
"I understand. We'll... We'll get her back," Meilin said. "Please, don't cry anymore. I want to hear you sing. I haven't heard you sing in so long and your voice is so beautiful," Meilin continued. Tomoyo wiped her tears and decided to sing, in the hope of easing her pain. She sang the Song of Night, which she had been practicing again for a school recital. Meilin smiled and let the song flow through her heart. Tomoyo's voice was truly beautiful, and it was the object of envy for singers everywhere.  
  
As Tomoyo was about to start the second verse, a blue aura extended itself through her bedroom window, and Tomoyo started to hear a second part singing the song with her. Meilin was just as amazed as Tomoyo was. The Song was here singing with her, but Sakura was causing evil using The Rain. Once the third verse had been finished, Tomoyo and The Song looked at each other, and then smiled.  
  
"It looks like she wants to stay with us because she loves your voice," Meilin said. Tomoyo smiled, probably about the most she had smiled in days. She loved it when people complimented her singing and she loved the art of singing. It made her remember the time when Eriol played the accompaniment for a song she was practicing for a recital when she was a fifth year student. The Song turned back into its Sakura Card form and flew into Tomoyo's hand.  
  
Meilin and Tomoyo ran into the rain together with their umbrellas. They had to find Sakura. They believed that The Song could convince Sakura not to do these evil things anymore. Meanwhile, Shaoran and Kero were searching for Sakura, hoping to battle her magic and win, so that the evil would stop, even if only for now.  
  
Shaoran and Kero arrived at Penguin Park. Although Kero could not actually sense Sakura's magic, the two were able to find her by instinct. Above the large penguin slide, they could make out a small figure with a red aura around it. The figure was away from the light, making it was hard to tell exactly who was floating there, but Kero knew that it was Sakura, calling forth the rain with her magic.  
  
"Sakura, stop this right now," Kero yelled. The figure turned around to face him, and the light shone over it, revealing that it was indeed Sakura.  
  
"Do you dare to command me, Keroberos?" Sakura asked. "You are a simple beast, created by magic that I have far surpassed. I can erase you as easily as Clow Reed created you."  
  
"Then we have no choice," Kero answered. "Shaoran, do it!"  
  
Shaoran unsheathed his sword. He glared at Sakura, and tried to prepare his attack. He was too distracted to attack. If Sakura had still been in the shadows, and he didn't know that it was she, he would have attacked with no hesitation. Shaoran did not want to hurt her, no matter what it took. However, he felt he had to do what he had to do. He prepared to call on the God of Thunder. Suddenly, he heard footsteps to his right.  
  
"Shaoran, stop!" Meilin yelled. Shaoran stopped his attack so immediately that his sword actually fell out of his hand. Tomoyo ran to Meilin and Shaoran's side, holding The Song. Suddenly, the song flew out of Tomoyo's hand, and hovered around Shaoran. He caught the card and looked closely at it. It started to glow in front of him, and the card changed its colour from pink to green. The name "Sakura" was changed to "Shaoran" and the back of the card had a different magic circle on it. This magic circle had a large moon, encircled by a small sun and a small star.  
  
"TRAITOR!" Sakura yelled. Tomoyo tugged on Shaoran's sword, trying to tell him to use the card before it became too late.  
  
"Don't just stare at it, Shaoran!" Meilin yelled. Shaoran nodded, and threw the card into the air. He struck the card with a downward stab, and the card changed to its true form. The Song started to sing the Song of Night. Shaoran listened as each note reminded him of the times that he and Sakura spent together. Tomoyo sang on top of The Song during the second verse, making the song into a two-voice harmony. The red aura around Sakura began to sink.  
  
"What a jo- help me..." Sakura said. It was clear that the song was affecting Sakura. The Rain stopped its attack on Tomoeda and flew into Shaoran's hand, also changing into a green card.  
  
"Please... save me..." Sakura said as the Song of Night ended. The red aura began to reshape itself around Sakura again, and its grip on her seemed to tighten. Kero looked at The Song and The Rain as they changed back into Shaoran cards, and was completely amazed.  
  
Sakura looked at the two cards, and glared at Shaoran.  
  
"It seems that you've won for today, but your days are numbered. You and the cards that betrayed me will perish," Sakura screamed as she ran away from the park. Shaoran tried to run after her, but Kero got in his way and Tomoyo held him back.  
  
"That won't work now," Kero said solemnly, "but she'll come back to us soon. The cards that you're holding have chosen you because they know that Sakura is abusing their power. With the help of the Shaoran cards, you should be able to defeat her magic."  
  
"Yours is the power of the moon," Eriol said. His arrival was quite a surprise to everyone. He had quietly snuck into the scene while The Song was singing its duet with Tomoyo.  
  
"But the moon does not command all the cards!" Kero yelled.  
  
"However, the stars do not command all the cards either. They choose their master, regardless of where their master draws his or her power. It is just like the time when Sakura first became the mistress of the cards. You nominated her to be the mistress, and Yue gave her the final judgement, a test of her magical ability. The cards trusted your choice, and became Sakura Cards."  
  
"Then, our new master is the brat," Kero said sarcastically. Eriol nodded and Shaoran glared at the little yellow beast.  
  
"Well don't sound too thrilled about it," Shaoran snapped back at Kero sarcastically. Kero bit into Shaoran's index finger.  
  
"The more things change, the more they stay the same," Tomoyo said.  
  
"But a new battle is now beginning," Eriol replied, attaching his words to Tomoyo's. Eriol walked away from Penguin Park and thought about the battle that he had just seen. He couldn't remember anything that would help his friends. Hopefully, he would remember soon. The whole world may very well be in danger.  
  
  
Well, that's the story for now. This is just the beginning of a new adventure for Shaoran. The next chapters are coming up soon, so keep reading and I'll keep writing. Bye for now!  
  
Akari Kamigishi  



	2. Shaoran and the Race to Save Sakura

Mistress of Darkness - Shaoran and the Race to Save Sakura  
Written by Akari Kamigishi and inspired by Rianne Li  
  
Wow. This series has really had a good start. I decided to write like a maniac so as not to keep all of you waiting. This chapter is shorter than the last one, but then, the last one was an introduction, and you always need more time to introduce a story element than you do to implement it. This chapter might be sorta lame so stick with me here. I really need this chapter. The next chapter will be the last one, as I don't want to drag on the story for very long. This is not an anime series, this is a fanfic. I don't need 70 episodes to make my point. :)  
  
  
Touya was in a horrible situation now. His father was extremely angry at him for letting Sakura run away. She hadn't come home for days. The police hadn't found a single clue as to her whereabouts. There was only one more thing that Touya could do. He had to talk to Keroberos and Yue. They might be able to sense where Sakura is and tell Touya where to find her, so that he can bring her home. Touya walked into Sakura's room cautiously and looked around the room. He picked up a yellow stuffed animal with wings. Touya remembered that this particular toy was in fact Keroberos. Kero was pretending to be a stuffed animal so that Touya wouldn't know about Sakura's magic.  
  
"Look you, I already know about Sakura and I want to bring her home. Wake up!" Touya yelled. Kero was pushed back to the wall by Touya's yelling. After Kero recovered, he gave Touya a cold glare.  
  
"You already know?" Kero asked. Touya nodded.  
  
"Yukito, Yue, and I are on pretty friendly terms. That and I've met a few of Sakura's 'friends'," Touya answered. Kero was not surprised. More times than he could count, Touya had stared at him for minutes, obviously finding that he was more than just a stuffed animal. Kero also remembered that Touya had let Yue take his magical powers in an effort to preserve Yue's, and therefore Yukito's, life.  
  
"Well then why doncha already know where she is?" Kero snapped at Touya. Touya glared murder at the small beast.  
  
"I can't possibly know everything. Especially since I can't sense spirits anymore," Touya answered calmly. Kero nodded and decided that he should tell Sakura's brother, of all people, the entire story.  
  
"Your sis is the mistress of the Sakura Cards. They're magical cards. You've met The Mirror right? Well, she's got about 52 more cards just like that one, with different abilities. To gain these abilities, a dark force has possessed her, and now Sakura can't control herself. She's been doing evil stuff all around town."  
  
"Wait a second. Who is commanding the cards now?" Touya interrupted.  
  
"The brat. Shaoran Li. The cards have chosen him because he's the next powerful person that they know who has a pure heart." Touya didn't like hearing this, but he knew that Shaoran loved Sakura, and that he would die if it meant that she could live. He trusted the brat to keep his sister safe from harm.  
  
"He's already retrieved two of the cards," Kero continued. "The Rain and The Song."  
  
"Where do you think she is now?" Touya asked. Kero shook his head.  
  
"No way. You don't stand a chance of bringing her home. We should just leave it to the brat," Kero answered.  
  
"Why aren't you living with him then?"  
  
"WHAT?!? Do you think I'd actually want to?!?" Kero yelled out in protest. Touya grinned mischieviously. He knew where Sakura could be now, but he didn't want to tell his father the whole truth about Sakura's magic. 'If I help out the brat', Touya thought, 'Sakura will come back home. He's my only hope.' Touya told his father that he was going out and walked out the door. It was a nice day, so he thought he'd walk to Shaoran's house to ask him what he knows.  
  
Tomoeda newspapers and broadcasts were reporting sightings of a blur that was knocking children off of their bikes and stealing wallets. If Touya had been there, he'd have seen it on the news. As he was walking to Shaoran's house, he thought he felt something tug at his pocket. When he checked his pocket, he noticed that it was lighter than usual. The money that he kept in his pocket was completely gone. He thought that perhaps he had simply forgotten his money at home and continued walking to Shaoran's house. However, he saw Shaoran walking past him. Touya was only halfway to Shaoran's house. He turned around to catch Shaoran's attention.  
  
"Hey brat, I was about to come and see you," Touya said through clenched teeth. Shaoran got into a fighting stance.  
  
"I don't know where she is! Just leave me alone!" Shaoran yelled. Touya put his guard down and grinned.  
  
"Well then it looks like you're going to need some help," Touya said. Shaoran looked sort of blank at this point. Because the day was so sunny, he noticed that there were more shadows around Touya than there should be. The extra shadows gathered into one dark, hooded figure. It was The Shadow. The Shadow changed itself into a Shaoran Card and lept into Shaoran's hand.  
  
"It looks like another card has escaped her power," Shaoran said. Touya was shocked. He had always thought that the cards were slaves to their master, who in this case was Sakura. Seeing The Shadow pledge its loyalty to Shaoran showed Touya that what Kero was saying was indeed true and that Shaoran was his only hope. Shaoran was tired, and decided that he should go home. Touya asked if he could come with him to talk about a few things.  
  
"Sure. Wei will be happy to meet you," Shaoran answered.  
  
  
At Shaoran's house, Touya and Shaoran were served tea, which Wei said had been specially made by Meilin. Shaoran was hesistant to sip his tea, but since Touya did not know Meilin too well, he immediately took a sip of his tea.  
  
"Wow. Meilin makes great tea," Touya said. Shaoran looked really nervous at this point. Meilin making good tea was a concept that his mind had a lot of trouble grasping. He remembered ALL of her previous failures with baking and cooking. It seemed impossible to him that Meilin could have made the tea on her own. Shaoran finally took a reluctant sip of his tea. It wasn't bad. Wei must have helped her make the tea.  
  
"It seems that Meilin-sama is improving at cooking and making tea," Wei said as he walked into the kitchen with an empty tray. Shaoran nodded and looked back at Touya. They had been enemies before, but now they were having tea together. It was yet another thing in Shaoran's life that didn't make any sense. However, strange things had been happening for days, so Shaoran was starting to get used to it.  
  
"So. Let's get to the point kid. You know where Sakura is don't you? You were looking for her when I saw you," Touya said sternly. 'He's definitely getting right to the point,' Shaoran noted.  
  
"I saw it on the news. A blur that steals people's money and knocks children off of their bikes. Then I felt the presence of a Sakura Card. I went out to see if the blur would attack me, hoping that the blur was actually Sakura using The Dash. Then I saw you, and got this card," Shaoran said, holding up The Shadow.  
  
"Then we should go back out there and track her down," Touya said. "In fact, I have a plan of action."  
  
"You do? Tell me more," Shaoran said. Touya told him the entire plan that he had mapped out in his mind. Shaoran and Touya smiled and walked out the door. Wei didn't know what to think of the two of them. It seemed like they got along quite nicely, although Shaoran didn't seem to like Touya before. Wei knew that he would never be able to understand children and teenagers.  
  
  
Meilin rang the doorbell of the Daidouji residence. Sonomi answered the door, looking as beautiful as she always did. Sonomi asked Meilin to come in and had one of her servants show Meilin to Tomoyo's room. She walked down the elegantly decorated hallways that she had become so accustomed to and opened the door to Tomoyo's bedroom. Tomoyo was sitting on her bed, finishing off some summer homework. It looked like it was math homework. Meilin had come to her friend's house because she knew that Sakura's absence had a profound effect on Tomoyo. It was like as if she loved Sakura as much as Meilin used to love Shaoran, only it could have been even deeper than that.  
  
Tomoyo taped Sakura's every happy and sad moment. It seemed to be her goal to record Sakura's entire life so that she could see the highlights of it again and again. Meilin guessed that having those tapes meant a lot to Tomoyo, but actually being with the real Sakura, and actually being beside her in her happiest and saddest moments made Tomoyo a lot happier. Of course, Tomoyo was all alone now. Chiharu, Naoko, and the other girls she stood beside were simply acquaintances. Meilin hoped to offer Tomoyo the chance to express her feelings about Sakura's new evil heart.  
  
They sat together in the beautifully furnished bedroom and had tea together. It was a simple gesture, but Meilin was sure that it made Tomoyo happy. In fact, Meilin could see her friend smiling just as brightly as she used to when she was capturing Sakura's life on tape. Tomoyo had always been a good friend to Meilin, and Meilin felt that she owed her the same.  
  
"Shaoran is working so hard to fight against Sakura's evil deeds," Meilin said, breaking the silence. Tomoyo nodded.  
  
"I hope that they won't have to fight to the end. I hope that Sakura will win over the evil spirit and banish it from her mind forever," Tomoyo said. It was the simplest solution that she could think of. If Shaoran and Sakura fought, it would hurt both of them and accomplish next to nothing. The spirit would obviously not leave Sakura, even if Shaoran bashed Sakura over the head with the handle of his sword. The spirit had to leave the body on its own terms. Meilin agreed with Tomoyo's sentiment. Feelings would definitely have more power than actions in the battle for Sakura's heart.  
  
"When Shaoran does confront her for the final battle, we must be there," Tomoyo said. She took another sip of her tea. She was still hopeful that she could convince Sakura to stop doing evil things to the citizens of Tomoeda and to her loved ones and friends. Meilin hoped that Shaoran would win back his love, Sakura, so that they could be together again. She loved Shaoran as much as Sakura did, and she wished for Shaoran's happiness everyday of her life.  
  
  
Sakura was bound against a wooden pole by ropes, and in front of her was a large shadow, much like The Shadow that she knew, only much scarier. It had deep, crimson red eyes, and a body which was really a thin skeleton. If anything, this shadow looked a lot like the Death that american fiction writers write about. The different between the characters, however, was that the one standing in front of her was wearing a purple dress, whereas the Death of literature wore a black robe with a hood. The spirit that was holding her captive was female, apparently.  
  
"Let me go! You have no right to be here!" Sakura yelled. The spirit simply laughed at her.  
  
"Why should I? I'm having so much fun. I'm finally the mistress of the cards, just like I should have been," the spirit exclaimed in a dark tone. A shiver was sent all the way up Sakura's spine.  
  
"I'm the mistress of the cards! You are just a fake, and everyone knows it! Even the cards know that you are evil!" Sakura yelled. The spirit took one step back, regained her composure, and then took a step forward again.  
  
"Everyone is evil, in the end. Even Clow Reed," the spirit said as she disappeared. She was going to go back to her newly found host and use her to cause even more trouble in Tomoeda. Seeing the citizens of Tomoeda panic when she attacked them was a lot of fun for her, and she enjoyed playing with Shaoran the most. She could sense his reluctance to fight her, and the love that he had for her host. Love will win over all, and evil will consume all things. That was what she called poetic justice.  
  
  
Touya and Shaoran made their way to a small road that was bordered on one side by trees. It was the road that Sakura and Shaoran had run past when Sakura sealed the loop card. Touya made sure to go home and get his money before the plan started, as that was a part of the plan.  
  
"Are you sure this is going to work kid?" Touya asked. Shaoran nodded. It was the perfect plan to catch the blur that had been causing trouble around Tomoeda. Shaoran climbed on top of one of the trees and hid behind its leaves. Touya did the same but looked out from the leaves to see if anyone was coming. Shaoran prepared to use The Shadow.  
  
"Project a shadow from behind that wall, Shadow!" Shaoran said, pointing at exactly where he needed the shadow to be cast from. Shaoran prayed that the blur would approach from the right angle. He knew that the blur was indeed Sakura using The Dash and that she knew about The Shadow. If she approached from the wrong side, she would know that it was a trap and he would be in big trouble. Touya looked around the streets again. He could see someone running extremely quickly from the side that he and Shaoran had planned to have Sakura run from. The person stopped just a few metres from the corner where the shadow was being projected. Touya confirmed that it was Sakura, turned to Shaoran, and nodded to him. Shaoran called on the power of the God of Thunder, aiming it right at Sakura. Sakura jumped out of the way quickly.  
  
"You're a tricky one. You and The Shadow both. However, your simple plan will fail," Sakura said. As she was saying this, The Dash, which was in her pocket, started to glow. It flew out of Sakura's pocket, turned into a Shaoran Card and flew into Shaoran's hand.  
  
"On the contrary, the cards seem to be on my side," Shaoran gloated. Sakura glared murder at Shaoran and her eyes glowed a deep, crimson red.  
  
"The cards are irrelevent, but I shall use them to defeat you," Sakura shouted. Shaoran jumped down from the tree and prepared to use The Dash. Sakura took The Shot out of her pocket and threw it into the air. She hit it dead on with her star wand, and the wand turned into a small gun, much like a pellet gun, but with a design that suggests that the gun has at least a little recoil. The gun floated around on its own, and took aim at Shaoran. Shaoran started to dash around it using The Dash's magic.  
  
"Wow. He's fast," Touya commented as he watched the battle. "Not bad for a little brat."  
  
Shaoran ran one last lap around The Shot, which was having trouble aiming at such a speedy target, and then immediately turned around and pinned The Shot to the ground. Shaoran stayed away from its line of fire so that it wouldn't shoot off any of his limbs.  
  
"And I thought Sakura didn't know how to use the cards," Shaoran sniggered as The Shot turned into a Shaoran Card and flew into his hand.  
  
"I've had enough for today. The next time you ruin my fun, you will die for it," Sakura yelled as she disappeared into a deep black cloud. The battle was long from over however, and Shaoran knew this very well. He just wished that it could be over so that he could go out with Sakura again like he did in the past. He held back a few tears as he sensed that Touya was jumping down from the tree. Shaoran didn't want to be seen crying. If he had something left, it was most definitely his pride.  
  
"Good work kid," Touya said while applauding. Shaoran smiled and showed Touya his new cards. The Shadow and The Shot flew in front of Touya and floated in circles around him.  
  
"Well, that means we have about 49 more to go," Touya exclaimed sarcastically. They both laughed and playfully pushed each other around. If they had been in a serious mood, they might have had a match against each other, but really, they just felt like enjoying their victory. From behind the trees, a light figure walked towards the two boys. The two boys instantly recognized Eriol, and they showed Eriol their new cards.  
  
"You have made fine progress, Shaoran, but I think that you should try to obtain the rest of the cards as quickly as possible," Eriol said solemnly.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well," Eriol started to explain, "the cards that have changed into Shaoran Cards are being supported by your magic. The others are being tortured by the dark force that has possessed Sakura. Even if all the cards do not change to Shaoran Cards, it would be best if you exorcise the evil spirit that is controlling Sakura soon. The cards are slowly rejecting her as their master, but your magic is weaker than her's, and your magic will not be able to support Yue and all of the cards. If Sakura does not return to her normal self soon, the cards will become regular cards."  
  
"She keeps running away," Shaoran exclaimed. Eriol nodded.  
  
"Thus, you must find her and start the final battle. I do not know how to recover Sakura's pure heart, but if she is not confronted soon, her heart will continue to be consumed by darkness. The Sakura we know now will cease to exist, and the cards will lose their magic," Eriol finished.  
  
"No way!" Shaoran yelled. Eriol nodded. What he was saying was indeed true, unfortunately for Shaoran. Eriol really didn't want what he was saying to be true, because he knew how Shaoran felt about Sakura, and he knew that losing her would be the most horrible thing that would ever happen to him.  
  
"Only if you put your doubts and fears aside and fight the battle at hand will you win your precious Sakura back from the evil spirit," Eriol explained. He started to walk away. He figured that he had said enough, and that saying anymore would cause the spirit to want to silence him. If the spirit did that, Shaoran would have no help at all from then on. Shaoran thought about the words that Eriol said. He had once been the kind of person who could simply do what has to be done, but since he had met Sakura, he had started to exhibit a different kind of attitude. He started to try to do what he could for others, and strived to be as generous as Sakura. Because of this, he didn't feel like he could really fight her seriously. These little plans and small battles were simply jokes to him, but really fighting Sakura would probably crush his very soul.  
  
"Hey kid, what's wrong with you?" Touya asked a little harshly. Shaoran turned away from Touya and just started running. He didn't even know why. He just didn't want to be seen right now. He needed to clear his mind on his own, and he was starting to cry because of the things that Eriol told him. He continued to run, almost bumping into other people who were walking down the road.  
  
The final battle had to be now, Eriol said, but Shaoran didn't know if he'd be ready for it. There was only one person that could help him to face his doubts about fighting Sakura. She was someone who had been with Sakura for a long time and had never left her side. She was someone who loved Sakura with a pure heart and never wanted to see her hurt. If anyone could assure Shaoran that he needed to fight the evil spirit for Sakura's sake, it was her. Now all he needed to do was find her.  
  
  
Well, that's that. The next chapter is the endgame. Will Shaoran succeed in winning back Sakura through his feelings of love and determination? Will Meilin and Tomoyo be able to convince Sakura to go back to her pure heart? Will Kero raid the Kinomoto fridge and steal their snacks? Find out in the next chapter, Shaoran and the Darkness Within.  
  
Akari Kamigishi 


	3. Shaoran and the Dream of Victory

Mistress of Darkness - Shaoran and the Dream of Victory  
Written by Akari Kamigishi and inspired by Rianne Li  
  
I said that this chapter would be the endgame, but after looking over my story, I found that I really can't end it QUITE as quickly as I want to. I need a few more "episodes" before I can actually start the final battle. Sorry for any inconveniences.  
  
  
Sakura continued to struggle against the energy that was binding her to the evil spirit's will. The world around her was starting to become darker with each passing minute. Sakura knew exactly where she was and what had to be done, but she was powerless to perform the actions herself. She had to depend on Shaoran once again. She had heard the evil spirit complaining about a kid named Shaoran. Although she was overjoyed to hear that he was back in Japan, she was angry at herself for not being able to help him. She wanted to see him again so badly, but she couldn't see anything but the dark purple clouds around her. The situation was starting to look bleak for Sakura, and she couldn't find any reason to feel any differently about it. The evil spirit walked into Sakura's prescense.  
  
"Soon child, I will completely own you, and the power that Clow Reed should have given to me," the spirit snarled. Sakura was surprised to hear the name Clow Reed again. Who could this spirit be that it knows Clow Reed.  
  
"Why do you hate Clow Reed?" Sakura yelled.  
  
"It's simple. I was to be the promised mistress of the cards. However, when I had finally finished training to take my place at Clow's side, I was told that the guardians had to choose me before I could become mistress of the cards. Keroberos refused to nominate me and thus I was denied the power I had trained for years to wield," the spirit explained.  
  
"Keroberos isn't stupid. If he didn't nominate you, he had his reasons," Sakura screamed.  
  
"Well, his reasons will soon become irrelevent."  
  
  
Shaoran looked at his surroundings. He was once again face to face with a possessed Sakura. Her eyes were the darkest shade of red that he had ever seen, and the rest of her expression was completely blank. She was floating at least a few inches above the ground and her posture was completely straight, almost as if she was concentrating on a magic spell. Shaoran checked his pocket to see if he had his cards. He was surprised to find that he had all of the cards. They were all Shaoran Cards, including The Hope. Suddenly, he heard a strange noise coming from Sakura's direction. He looked at Sakura and saw that her eyes had reverted back to normal. Suddenly, Sakura dropped out of the air and doubled over onto the ground. Shaoran closed his eyes, unable to watch Sakura fall to the ground. When he opened his eyes, he was somewhere else...  
  
Shaoran was staring at his ceiling. It wasn't the most attractive ceiling ever. He liked it simple because it was easy on his eyes. He was awake and back in his room. He was surprised that he had even been asleep. After fighting with Sakura, he was unable to sleep because all he thought about was what Eriol told him about starting the final battle. He was so nervous about having to fight Sakura that he was shaky and couldn't sleep. When he tried to sit up, he felt something pressing against him. He looked over the covers of his bed. It was another two Shaoran Cards.  
  
"The Dream. Then what I saw was a prophecy," Shaoran noted. The other card was The Sleep, which explained how Shaoran had ever gotten to sleep at all. He must have missed its ki because he was so deep in thought about Sakura. He appreciated the efforts of both cards, which had given him a new sense of hope. That's when the idea hit him.  
  
"Of course! The Dream! It might scare the spirit away from Sakura, especially if the dream I saw was really a prophecy," Shaoran yelled, without really knowing it. Meilin slowly opened the door to his room and stepped in.  
  
"Well, what great revelation have you come to in your sleep?" Meilin asked sarcastically.  
  
"I'm sorry that I woke you up Meilin. I just thought of an idea to help save Sakura. All I need to do is find her," Shaoran said while picking out clothes to wear for the day. Meilin took that as her cue to go back to her room. Shaoran changed into a simple beige t-shirt and military green shorts; then he slipped on a pair of white sports socks, placed the Shaoran Cards in his pocket, and walked downstairs to get his shoes. Maybe... maybe it didn't have to come down to a final battle.  
  
When Shaoran had stepped outside, he took the phone that Tomoyo had given him out of his pocket and called Sakura's phone. Kero picked up the phone, just like Shaoran expected. He didn't seem too happy to be answering Shaoran's call however. I must have caught him in the middle of a video game, Shaoran thought. Now that he thought about it, should the guardian beast of the seal really be sitting around all day playing video games when the mistress of the cards has become possessed?  
  
"Whaddya want kid?!? She's not here!"  
  
"What makes you think I don't know that! I have an idea of how to solve that problem. Meet me at Penguin Park! We should be able to find her there!" Shaoran exclaimed. He can't possibly be the guardian beast of the seal, Shaoran thought to himself as he turned off the phone and started running towards Penguin Park.  
  
"That kid's gotta lot of nerve!" Kero screamed. He suddenly remembered that Sakura's father was home and heard his footsteps coming towards Sakura's room. He must have heard Kero screaming. Kero flew onto the table behind Sakura's bed where she kept her alarm clock and pretended to be a stuffed animal. Fujitaka opened the door to Sakura's room just like Kero expected and looked around. Finding that no one was there to have made the noise, Fujitaka dismissed it as simply being his imagination and left the room to go back to the cooking that he'd been doing earlier.  
  
  
Touya was walking through the streets of Tomoeda with Yukito. They had just bought ice cream to beat the heat and they were telling each other stories of things that had happened to them since the last time they'd met. The sunshine was a little too much to bear for Touya, who had to constantly cover his eyes. If the sun was bothering Yukito also, he certainly didn't show it. Touya listened with interest to another of Yukito's stories.  
  
"So then I played basketball with them and after I'd won a few times, they asked if I wanted to be on their team again. I would like to but I like my life the way it is, I said to them."  
  
"But you play so well Yukito! Why not play on the team, for the school?" Touya asked. Yukito grinned only slightly.  
  
"Well, then I wouldn't have time to tell you these stories, or stories to tell you. My life isn't all that complicated. The other me says that Sakura has gone missing. Have you had any luck finding her, Touya?" Yukito asked, digressing from his earlier line of thought. Touya didn't say a word. He simply frowned, sighed, and kept walking onward. Yukito took that as a no and decided not to pursue it any further. Suddenly, both of them saw a boy with a beige t-shirt and green shorts run by.  
  
"That's the brat. Where's he off to?" Touya said in an exhausted tone. He and Yukito decided that they should follow him to wherever he was going, in the hope of finding Sakura. Meanwhile, Meilin had gotten the same idea and ran out the door of her house to follow her cousin. Something told her that she would be needed for once. She and Tomoyo both. She had remembered to call Tomoyo and tell her that she was going to Penguin Park, so she was sure that Tomoyo was on her way there.  
  
  
Sakura watched her surroundings become a darker shade of purple. If this was really her mind that she was trapped in, then her soul would soon be consumed by evil. Sakura could not keep track of time from where she was so she really couldn't say if it would be today or tomorrow, or even in a few days. She simply wished that Shaoran would work his hardest to set her free so that she could see him again and maybe even go out with him again to a nice restaurant or something of the sort.  
  
Really, Sakura was aware from the very beginning that her position as Card Captor, and then as Mistress of the Cards, was extremely dangerous to her and to others around her, but she never imagined that she would actually become possessed by a spirit. She had seen that in a lot of movies, and didn't think that it actually could happen to people. However, this was all just Sakura's effort to try and deny that she was truly being consumed. Escapism only works so well before one must go back to reality and face the proverbial music.  
  
"Tomoyo, Shaoran, Touya, Dad, I'm sorry," she said, hoping that they would all hear her.  
  
  
"It seems like old habits never break! You're here again!" Shaoran yelled, hiding his dismay at the fact that he actually yelled at her. Sakura was floating in front of him, much like in his dream, only her eyes were not as red as they had been in the dream. Shaoran thought that it could be a bad sign. Perhaps his victory had to come when she had been almost completely consumed by the evil, or even when she had been entirely consumed.  
  
"Whaddya think you're doing?!?" Kero yelled. Shaoran pulled The Dream out of his pocket and used it on Sakura. Sakura fell asleep immediately, just like Shaoran had planned.  
  
"I'm going to show her how futile it is to control the Mistress of the Cards!" Shaoran yelled back.  
  
"NO! If ya do that, you'll just make her stronger! Even if what The Dream shows is a prophecy, the future can be changed. The evil spirit will hold onto Sakura more tightly so that it won't lose!" Kero yelled. Shaoran slapped himself on the forehead. That's right! How could he have forgotten? He must not have been thinking clearly when he thought of this plan. I want to save Sakura so badly that I'll try anything, he thought.  
  
  
Sakura's surroundings suddenly changed. She saw Shaoran right in front of her, with all of the Shaoran Cards that she had heard so much about and with the confidence to beat anyone. Then, the surroundings became dark again. In fact, her surroundings became darker than they were before. Shaoran used The Dream, she thought. Although the dream itself gave Sakura a sense of hope, she knew that it would be harder for them to save her now.  
  
  
The Dream stopped, and Sakura slowly climbed to her feet, feeling only a little sleepy. Her eyes were a much darker crimson than they had been when she had been asleep. Shaoran now saw the effects of his error. Those darker, more sinister eyes were an indication that the evil spirit's grip on Sakura's pure heart was tightening.  
  
"I'll never let you have all the cards! I'll kill you where you stand! I still have more cards than you do, and I know how to use them!" Sakura screamed. Shaoran checked his cards to make sure that they were still there and that he hadn't forgotten them at home. He was ready to battle, just like he thought.  
  
"I know how to use them too! Remember that I am of the Li family!" Shaoran shouted. Sakura prepared one of the Sakura Cards to start the battle.  
  
"SHAORAN!" Meilin yelled as she ran into Penguin Park.  
  
"What's going on?" Touya yelled as he ran into Penguin Park  
  
"Sakura! Please don't!" Tomoyo cried. She had made it just in time.  
  
"The whole gang's here!" Kero exclaimed as he flew closer to Shaoran. If needed, he would protect Shaoran with all his power, for Sakura's sake. Yukito sprouted large wings which covered him as he transformed into Yue. Yue was also willing to lay down his life to protect Shaoran, who was the cards' only hope, and his only hope. Sakura pulled out The Twin card and used it first. Where Sakura had been, there were now two, standing side by side.  
  
"Seeing double, Shaoran?" Sakura yelled as she prepared her next card. Sakura used The Sword. Both of the Sakuras that were standing in front of Shaoran were now holding swords and were ready to attack. The Sword, Shaoran remembered, gave the user the abilities of an expert fencer. Even he couldn't fight both of them at once and even if he succeeded in fighting off both of them, it would still not subdue the power of The Twin. He needed to attack in stereo!  
  
"Looks like you're going to need a partner this time too!" Meilin exclaimed. Shaoran smiled as she ran to his side. They knew exactly what they needed to do. They ran at the two Sakuras and looked like they were going to kick them, but when the Sakuras tried to slice them in half with their swords, Shaoran and Meilin parried the attacks with their palms. Once they had done so, Shaoran and Meilin swung below the swords while still holding onto them with their palms and kicked the Sakuras. The two girls fell away from their swords. Shaoran and Meilin had successfully subdued the powers of The Twin and The Sword simultaneously. The Twin and The Sword transformed into Shaoran cards and flew into Shaoran's hand.  
  
"Ready for round two?" Shaoran asked, taunting Sakura, who was now only one person.  
  
"Round two it is. This time, I won't be going so easy on you!" Sakura sniggered as she pulled out The Arrow. Shaoran knew this card well also. Sakura was given a bow, which she used to fire an arrow at Shaoran. That one arrow split into two arrows, and then those two arrows split to make a total of four arrows. Shaoran dove to the right to avoid the arrows and watched as they hit the tree that was behind him and almost sliced it in half.  
  
Sakura fired another arrow at Shaoran as he staggered to his feet. The arrow once again started to reproduce itself exponentially. However, Shaoran knew that dodging would do him no good this time. He had to find a way to subdue the powers of The Arrow. Suddenly, he was struck by an idea. He didn't have his ceremonial sword with him, but he had The Sword. He used the card and took the sword that it gave him. He waved it in a figure-eight much like he had seen in martial arts movies. Surely enough, Shaoran managed to hit all of the arrows before they could touch him, and The Arrow transformed into a Shaoran Card and flew into Shaoran's hand.  
  
"Wow. He really knows what he's doing," Touya commented to himself as he watched the fight.  
  
"Yeah Shaoran! You showed her that time!" Meilin cheered from the sidelines.  
  
"Please Sakura! Make it stop!" Tomoyo cried. Meilin sighed as she thought of exactly what Tomoyo must be going through right now, watching as Sakura and Shaoran fight. On a more humourous note, it was the first big fight in their relationship, but then, Tomoyo didn't really think of it that way. If she had, it might have cheered her up a little.  
  
"How many attack cards do you have left now Sakura?" Shaoran gloated.  
  
"Many! And I know just the one to use now!" Sakura yelled as she used The Earthy. The ground below Shaoran was raised at least ten feet into the air, and other parts of the ground around him were either raised or lowered. Yue flew up to where Shaoran was and hovered beside him. Kero transformed into his real form and joined Yue. This battle's starting to get dangerous, Kero thought.  
  
Shaoran hadn't brought along his magic cards, the ones which he uses to call on the gods of lightning and wind, so he needed to use The Arrow to attack Sakura from the distance. He fired an arrow at Sakura which started to spread out and try to trap her where she was. Sakura used The Fly and sprouted wings which carried her out of danger. Now Sakura used The Thunder. Yue grabbed Shaoran and dragged him out of the way of the lightning bolt that was about to hit him from above.  
  
"I owe you one," Shaoran said as he wiped his brow.  
  
"Just save my mistress. Please," Yue pleaded as he placed Shaoran on a more level piece of ground.  
  
"You're good Sakura, but its time to get serious!" Shaoran said as he used The Rain.  
  
"Then why are you using such a stupid card?" Sakura taunted as she landed on a higher piece of ground and prepared to attack Shaoran with another lightning bolt. She put away her wings and took out The Thunder. The Rain intensified, and Sakura found that all of a sudden, the ground that she was standing on started to sink.  
  
"That's why!" Shaoran said as he watched the higher pieces of ground sink back down to ground level. Then, The Earthy transformed into a Shaoran Card and flew into Shaoran's hand. Meilin jumped up and down in excitement while cheering for Shaoran. He had once again managed to counter Sakura's attack without hurting her. Soon, Shaoran would have all of the attack cards, she thought.  
  
"Oh no! I've lost another attack card! You win for today, Shaoran, but you'll definitely pay for this tomorrow!" Sakura screamed as she tried to fly away. Yue flew after her and latched onto her feet.  
  
"You're not escaping this time!" Yue yelled as he tried to keep a grip on Sakura. Unfortunately, his efforts were no good. Sakura simply vanished and he was left holding onto nothing but thin air. She had escaped again, and this time, Shaoran was more affected than ever. He just kept on looking at the ground, and all of the cracks in the wall and all of the other damage that he and Sakura had caused.  
  
"Shaoran Li, ya tried your hardest and ya pulled through. I'm proud to serve ya, even if only for now," Kero said, with Yue nodding in agreement.  
  
"You're a smart kid, I gotta give you that," Touya commented.  
  
"I'm so glad that she didn't get hurt," Tomoyo cried as she ran up to Syaoran to try and comfort him.  
  
"She doesn't have a lot of attack cards left does she?" Shaoran asked in a low tone, to no one in particular.  
  
"Well, lezzee... She lost The Shot, The Arrow, The Sword, The Twin, The Earthy, The Thunder, The Shadow, The Dash... She's left with, I'd say, two good attack cards. Watery and Firey," Kero answered.  
  
"You forgot The Sand and The Freeze cards," Yue interrupted.  
  
"Yeah yeah... whatever! Anyway, it's all gonna be over soon kid," Kero continued quickly, trying to comfort Shaoran.  
  
"I can't believe that it really has to end like this," Shaoran mumbled to himself as he held back his tears.  
  
  
"I can't believe that it really has to end like this," Sakura mumbled to herself as she thought of what had happened that day. She knew that she could not be freed unless Shaoran had all of the cards and had subdued the power of the evil spirit. That would mean more horrible fights like the one she had just heard about. She didn't like the idea of fighting him at all, and the only thing that made Sakura comfortable with the fighting was to remember that it wasn't her fault. She was doing her best to keep the spirit from completely consuming her.  
  
"When you finally see nothing but darkness," the spirit had told her, "you will be completely consumed, never to exist again as you are now. We will become one and then I will finally be the Mistress of the Cards and I will have my revenge on Clow Reed."  
  
Did that mean that it would go after Eriol once it had control of Sakura's body? Eriol probably remembers who she is and why she is doing this, Sakura thought to herself. In fact, he's probably already helped Shaoran, even if only a little.  
  
"Eriol.... I'm so sorry," Sakura said softly, hoping that he could hear her.  
  
Saying that made her remember the time when she had first become the Mistress of the Cards and saw Clow Reed in a vision, telling her that he would be troubling her from then on. Now she would probably be causing trouble for him, at least, if Shaoran didn't succeed soon. How ironic, Sakura thought to herself as she tried her hardest to keep on seeing the purple in her surroundings. As long as she could still see the purple, she could still see something other than the darkness, so the only way that she could fight the spirit's powers was to keep on focusing on the purple in her surroundings. It was getting harder and harder to see the purple though, and she knew that soon she would lose it entirely.  
  
  
Kero was now staying with Shaoran. Seeing the kid do some remarkable battling against Sakura gave him a new perspective on Shaoran. Also, Sakura was starting to become more dangerous. Kero noticed that she was starting to use more powerful cards. And in fact, the powerful attack cards were the only attack cards she had left, other than The Sand, which Kero wouldn't even call an attack card, so he knew that she would be using more powerful cards from then on. Shaoran is going to need me to be around to help him out, Kero thought to himself, as he tried to make himself comfortable in Shaoran's dresser drawer. He was having trouble getting used to the fact that he didn't have his own little room like he did in Sakura's room. It would be hard for Kero to get to sleep tonight, but he knew that Shaoran would have even more trouble sleeping.  
  
  
"Can I have that bear?" Sakura said as she stood in front of Shaoran at the airport. She had rushed all the way to the airport to see him off because she wanted to say goodbye, but having something to remember him by would be a big bonus for her. Wei handed his master the bear and smiled at him, implicitly giving him the message that this was the right thing to do. Shaoran stepped forward reluctantly, his heart beating quickly and furiously, and handed Sakura the bear that he had made. She took it with a smile, and Shaoran could see that she was blushing. He didn't think that he would actually have been able to give her the bear. He was so nervous when he was around her that he thought he could never have gathered up the courage to give Sakura a gift. It was enough for him to thank her for being his friend. However, he realized now, by the look on Sakura's face, that maybe she felt a little differently. He didn't really know how, but she probably felt differently about him than he thought she did.  
  
Shaoran sat on one of the couches in the living room and tried to relax as he waited for Sakura to prepare tea. He wanted to help her but his heart was beating so fast that he didn't think that he could ask her if she needed help. He gathered enough courage to try however, and walked over to the kitchen. When he saw Sakura, his heart actually seemed to skip a beat.  
  
"Do you need any help?" Shaoran asked.  
  
"It'll be done soon. Please sit and relax," Sakura answered. Once again, Shaoran could see that she was blushing. When she had finally finished with the tea, she placed the kettle, the tray, sugar, and two cups on a tray and brought it to the living room. She set it down on the table in front of Shaoran and asked him how many sugars he wanted. Shaoran told her that he'd do it himself, but he got so nervous that he knocked over the sugar. Sakura reached down to help him and their hands touched. The sensation was so incredible that it sent a shock down Shaoran's spine. He noticed that it had probably done the same to her too.  
  
Shaoran was now back in his room, in the present time, awakened from his dreams and once again trying to get to sleep. He turned over in his bed and closed his eyes, hoping that he could finally get some rest. Kero noticed this and sighed in concern for his new master. If this whole deal is hard on anyone, it's hard on him, Kero thought. Kero finished setting up a makeshift bed and pillow in Shaoran's dresser drawer and tried to go to sleep again. He had a little more success than Shaoran, who once again awakened, turned over, and tried to go back to sleep.  
  
Until whole battle was finally over, no one would be able to sleep. Shaoran was only one of the many people who would have trouble sleeping tonight. 


End file.
